Bat-forming table



5 Sheets-Sheet l I INVENTQR.

Z 0am Man/70 BY ATTORNEYS May 23, 1939.

L. MARINO BAT-FORMING TABLE Filed Feb. 28, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 mm? Mar/ 70 ATTORNEYS May 23, 1939. 1.. MARINO BAT-FORMING TABLE Filed Feb. 2a, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENIOR, Md/V/ffl w I; "u. uh m i 0 1 ATTORNEYS Patented May 23, 1939 GNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BAT-FORMING TABLE Louis Marine, Kansas City, Mo.

Application February 28, 1938, Serial No. 193,220

1 Claim.

This invention relates to rock wool handling equipment and particularly to mechanism for forming bats from a continuously advancing strip of rock wool as it is conveyed from the chamber into which it is discharged by the conventional blast of air under pressure.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a bat forming table for rock wool which table has means for first longitudinally slitting the advancing strip of material, and thereafter transversely cutting the slitted strip into bats of suitable length, all without stopping the advancing movement of the continuous strip of rock wool as it is being withdrawn from the remaining portion of the mechanism.

Another aim of this invention is to provide a table for forming bats from a continuous strip of rock wool, which table is provided with a plurality of slitting saws and a cross saw, the latter being mounted upon a forwardly moving platform, the speed of which is exactly the same as the speed of the forwardly moving strip of rock wool, all to the end that bats may be cut from the said strip without the necessity of periodically starting and stopping the machine.

An even further object of this invention is the provision of means for actuating the various parts of the bat forming table and particularly the reciprocable cross saw, which means includes circuit closing elements that are timed to open and close the circuit at the end of predetermined intervals during which intervals the cross saw and parts associated therewith are moved in a desired direction and with respect to the advancing strip or strips of rock wool, so that a continuous operation takes place.

Minor objects of the invention will appear during the course of the following specification, referring to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a bat forming table made in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross sectional view through the table taken on line III-III of Fig. 1.

Fig; 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the table taken on the line IV--IV of Fig. 3 illustrating the movable cross saw in two positions.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary detailed sectional view through a portion of the table taken on line V-V of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a similar view taken along line VI--VI of Fig. 1.

Fig. 'l is another enlarged detailed sectional view taken on line VII-VII of Fig. 6; and,

Fig. 8 is a wiring diagram.

A bat forming table embodying the invention may be used in connection with any conventional rock wool making plant, the apron conveyor 10 of which extends outwardly to carry the spread bulk of fibrous material. This conveyor extends around a roller l2 driven by sprocket l4 and chain 16. When the rock wool is carried on the conveyor apron l0, it is not as compact as is desired and therefore, the bat forming table is provided with means for compressing the rel- Iiztitvsely thick layer of rock wool as it is cut into The table itself comprises a pair of side frames l8 spaced apart a distance substantially the same as the width of conveyor apron ID. This frame is built up in any suitable fashion and is preferably made of sturdy material so as to provide the desired support for the hereinafter mentioned parts. V

A pair of transverse rollers 20 are journaled in side frames 18 and extend parallel to roller l2 supporting conveyor apron ID. A plurality of endless conveyor belts 22 are carried by rollers 20 and the upper stretches thereof are in substantially the same horizontal plane as the upper stretch of conveyor apron I0.

A relatively short transfer belt 24 closes the gap between conveyor apron l0 and conveyor belts 22 and this belt 24 is extended around a roller 26 and a comparatively small roller 28. An additional pair of transverse rollers 30 are journaled in bearings carried by side frames I8. These rollers are disposed above rollers 20 and likewise support a plurality of endless compressor belts 32 disposed in opposed relation to conveyor belts 22 and spaced apart as are conveyor belts 22. The distance between the lower stretch of compressor belts 32 and the upper stretch of conveyor belts 22 is equal to the desired width of the finished bats of rock wool. As the more or less loose ribbon of fibrous rock wool is fed between compressor belts 32 and conveyor belts 22, it is reduced in thickness and slightly compacted into a commercially practical thickness.

A plurality of slitting saws 34 carried by a transverse shaft 36 cooperate with belts 22 and 32 in the manner illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. These saws are in a vertical plane and extend upwardly between the belts 22 and 32 so that as the wide strip of rock wool advances it will be slit into several ribbons, or narrow strips of a width desirable for the finished bats. Saws 34 are mounted upon transverse shaft 36 and this shaft is constantly rotated by a motor 38 which is connected to shaft 36 through the medium of a belt or similar driving connection 40.

The means for transversely cutting the advancing ribbons or strips of rock wool which have been formed from the wide strip taken from the conveyor apron I0, is in the nature of a specially mounted cross saw 42 carried by depending bearing bracket 44 and rotated by motor 46 through the medium of a belt 48. Motor 45 is mounted upon a platform 50 that is equipped with wheels '62. These wheels are spaced apart and adapted to roll upon a pair of transverse tracks 64.

A vertically extending arm 66, on platform 68, is provided with a slot 68 for the reception of a roller 68 which is carried by chain 62. This chain 62 is an endless one and is supported by sprocket wheels 64 near each side of the table. A motor 66 is provided to drive chain 62 and is connected thereto through the medium of a sprocket chain 68.

Tracks 64 are mounted upon a reciprocable bed I8 which moves back and forth along a portion of frames I8 and is maintained in a nbrmal position by retrieving springs I2, one end-of which is attached to a bracket I4 rigid to frames I8, while the other ends are secured to bed I8 as illustrated in Fig. 4. This bed I8 carries motor 66, chain 62 and has a pair of depending fingers I6, one of which is on each side of chain 18 mounted on frame I8. There should be a chain I8 on each side of the table so that bed I8 might be moved forwardly without danger of twisting.

Chains I8 are provided with laterally extending contact elements 88 which periodically strike fingers I6 to not only close the electric circuit to motors 46 and 66, but to advance bed I8 with all its associated parts.

Bat receiving belts 82 and 84 are mounted on transverse rollers 86 and 88 respectively, to one side of cross saw 42 opposite to belts 22 and 82. Belt 84 is a wide, fiat b'at receiving belt which serves as a table from the operator merely lifts the bats of rock wool after they have been formed by the table. Upper belt 82 cooperates with belt 84 in withdrawing the bats from cross saw 42 as it operates.

Belts 22, 32, 84 and 86 as well as bed 18 are timed to move the hats at the same rate of speed. These parts are driven through conventional chain or belt connections and the driving power may be applied to shaft 88 upon which sprocket 82 is mounted. An intermediate sprocket 84 mounted for rotation on one of frames I6 drives shaft 86 which carries additional sprockets so that all of the drive chains may be simultane ously moved; Chain I6 drives sprocket I4; chain I88 drives compressor belts 32 and conveyor belts 22, and chain I82 drives bat receiving belts 82 and 84; chain I84 drives chain 62 and chain I86 drives short belt 24. Suitable sprockets, of course, are provided for these chains and if necessary, belt tighteners or idlers may be interposed where desired.

Operation dwells at each end of its path of travel until contact elements 68 engage fingers I6. Contact elements 88 remain in engagement with fingers I6 a relatively short length of time, or until fingers I6 move from the position shown in full lines of Fig. ,4 to the position shown in dotted lines in that figure. During that interval the circuit to motors 46 and 66 is closed because contact elements 88 and fingers I6 constitute the parts of a switch which close the circuit. The force exerted upon fingers I6 by elements 68 likewise moves bed I8 in the direction of travel of the bats the latter being transversely severed end of its path of travel, roller 66 moves longitudinally along slot 68 so that roller 68 can be moved along the opposite stretch of chain 62 from that just traveled. A speed reducer H8 may be employed with motor 66 if desired, so

that proper timing of the parts is made possible.

Manifestly, when saw 42 reaches one end of i path of travel, contact elements 88 disengage fingers 16 so that saw 42 will be out of the way while the ribbons or strips of rock wool are being advanced to a point where saw 42 is again brought into play to transversely sever the same.

Motor 2 which is the main source of power for all of the chains Iiwliich link together the various parts, is direct lily, connected to sprocket a: through the medium of its shaft on. When contact elements 68 engage fingers I6 motors 46 and 66 have current supplied thereto. Motor 46 has one side connected to the source of current by wire II4, wires 6 and H8 join motor 46 to one finger I6, contact element 88 interconnects finger I6 and wire I28 completes the circuit back to the source of energy. Motor 66 is joined to one side of the source of supply by wire I22, wires I24 and H8 Join motor 66 to one finger I6, contact element 88 bridges the gap between fingers I6, and wire I28 completes the circuit from motor 66.

Manifestly, the employment of the novelly arranged slitting and cross saw 34 and 42 respectively, will insure a perfectly formed bat, the sides and ends of which are perfectly cut and disposed at right angles to the end that a square or rectangular bat is created. Obviously, bat forming tables having parts of a nature different than those specifically described might be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

In a table for forming bats from an advancing continuous strip of rock wool, a plurality of siltting saws for longitudinally cutting the strip into a plurality of ribbons; conveyor belts for the ribbons between said saws; a reciprocable cross saw for transversely severing the ribbons after the same have moved from between the slitting saws; means for advancing the cross saw at the same rate of travel as the rate of travel of said ribbons as the saw severs the ribbons; and a motor to reciprocate the cross saw, said advancing means comprising a frame to support the motor,

a pair of pins on the frame, an endless chain having a portion thereof between the pins and a laterally extending contact finger extending to each side of the chain and carried thereby, said and a source of current, said finger serving toclose the space between said pins as the chain 7 pins having electrical connection with said motor moves the finger along one stretch of the endless chain whereby the frame and motor are moved by the chain as current is supplied to the motor.

LOUIS MARINO. 

